Cpt Pugwash

Hate to tell you i did not inform Guest Services about anything the only time it was mentioned when the member of staff was talking to me during boarding and mentioned i would have to try self embark cause i had a flight to flight to catch then asked me what time i needed to be off by and said just come down to the Lounge i'll make sure your off for that time.

All coach passengers were assisted first followed by people from the list in the order in which we had registered.

Not if you know someone there from times before and need t be off first to catch a flight. 😇

45 minutes ago, cruisingiscool said:

Well that was a job and a half! As I wrote before  before we were thinking of booking May 2025 cruise but was concerned re medical assistance. My lovely TA and I had a phone call of almost 90 minutes trying to find a cruise around that date with an available evacuation chair and appropriate cabin for a mobility at sea wheelchair. We eventually ended up with an Arvia cruise at the end of September 2025. Several weeks later than we wanted but the compromise was necessary to get anything at all.  He also tried to complete online medical assistance form for me but had to give up as I have not booked my wheelchair yet so have no idea of the dimensions etc which need to be entered onto form. I have that task to complete another day. Lucky me. Thank you for help and advice on here. I'm sure it'll be worth it in The end. 

I wouldn't worry about giving wheelchair dimensions just quote sizes from the Mobility at Sea site and make sure they fit through your Cabin door before you send off. i always book a Mobility Scooter to use onboard and though i had to book for 2026 to get a choice of Mobility Cabins they've already asked me for dimensions.P.S I had the same problem trying to change my 2025 trip ended up Cabin Available No Chair and visa versa ended up changing from June to March. Enjoy.

17 hours ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

 

Yes as long as it's not sea water.

i thought it was recycled water from the Kitchen Sinks.?

On 7/19/2024 at 6:22 PM, ozscotart said:

It is stated by someone above that you do not request a evacuation chair rather they are allocated by P&O which is 100% wrong.

If you are booking a Accessible Cabin  when one is available you are asked if you will need a evacuation chair and if you do and they do not have any left  i doubt they will let you book that Cabin. I don't have personal experience of being refused but i do have of trying to book Accessible cabins where there is no Evacuation Chairs available and the other way around.so i always looked at another trip. So looking at it sensibly i don't think P&O would be happy to take any Passengers onboard who have stated they would need help in a Evacuation and not be able to supply any thus letting themselves and others be put in danger. 

11 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Why in the world would you think that anyone is looking down their nose at you on Cunard? 

 

 

You say you only travel on P&O. Have you not encountered the Yacht Club yet? 

No i'll never be invited to that but i can see the point your making but that is only one place not various parts of the ship.

I just happened to come across this post and though i have never travelled with Cunard only P&O i am shocked to hear that in these days people can be stopped from going into certain parts of a Cruise Ship they have paid to travel on.

Last year on one of my Cruise i met one of the Loveliest Young Ladies i have ever met who was only on Iona because her Mother wanted to try it and said she normally travelled with Cunard and suggested i should try them sometime as they are more superior in many ways.

I replied jokingly 'they would take one look at me at Check In and say No we'll give you your money back' 🙂

Well reading these posts has made me decide i will never book Cunard because through various jobs in my lifetime face to face with the Public i have been shouted at called many names some i didn't even understand and i just ignored them but the thing i could not bite my lip was when someone looked down there nose at me thinking they were better than me or anyone else.

2 hours ago, snaefell said:

We were on Arcadia in Barcelona in May 2023,at the time I was struggling badly with my arthritic knee,we did the P&O excursion showing the highlights of the city,unfortunately it was a Sunday when 5 cruise ships were there,there was some sort of road race on so many roads & areas were closed off meaning the driver couldn't stop in the usual places & was very much making it up as we went along meaning a lot of walking as we played 'hunt the tour bus'!

I wasn't the worst mobility wise of the participants by any means,some others were in real distress,the Horizon newspaper carried warnings every day after that telling people to check the activity level of upcoming tours with the Excursion desk.

Really sad thing was we overnighted in Barcelona & so had the whole of the next day to explore the city further but we had seen enough of the place!😆😆

After having my knee joint finally replaced I hopefully have better times ahead although I have had 6 months of struggling on crutches & walking sticks where I really found out how many uncaring people there are out there!

Keep on cruising!

Sorry to hear that but Hey Ho Good Times Ahead. My story has been different so many people offering to help me after having a Leg Amputated in 2019.

But it's funny the only time i have had uncaring people was the staff of the first cruise i went after my Op, i can walk short distances with my Rollator but was actually the passengers that helped my trip being a total wash out, offering to carry things for me before i left a Bar or Counter in the Self Service Buffets.

Oh was basically a waste of time and money through my own fault but at least the passengers with good hearts who offered me help made it a bit more sufferable than it could have been.

Keep on Cruising. 🙂

2 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

I don't understand why anyone would be concerned about other passengers' drinking habits.  I am o lying concerned if it affects me directly.

 

Well try this to be concerned about how many of those Drinkers do you think would fail a breathalyzer test leaving the CPS car park? my guess would be quite a few.

From someone even when i drank have ALWAYS been Anti Drink Driving after losing a friend at 18 to a Drink Driver..

I could say the last night should be No Alcohol on sale but i don't i'm just saying look at you Alcohol intake when Cruising and if your BRAVE enough to mention to your GP mention it the next time you see them but doubt you will cause you don't want them to  know.

1 hour ago, Harryjacobs said:

I am amazed at the cost issue as well.  An alcohol drinks package for a 2 week cruise comes in at around £1200.  Do people spend £600 a week on alcohol at home week in week out?  I am genunely shocked that people are willingly spending £1200 on booze.

Oh i've no problem with people drinking and doing more when they go on Holiday but was shocked by the amount people drink on Cruises. Bottles of Wine in there cabins, mid day cocktails then pre Dinner drinks then more with there meal then more afterwards. Seems to be the Norm for a lot of Cruisers.

Or you could just stick to the soft drinks and keep your Husband company won't do you any harm then just have the odd Alcoholic drink when you feel like one.

As someone who used to drink but only gave it up through time no other reason i have noticed so many people think they MUST drink more when Cruising but no doubt don't mention there Alcohol intake to there GP's. 

Anybody with Limited Mobility booking any shore excursion with P&O double check as much as you can find out on the Internet NOT just what P&O state when advertising these things.

I can walk short distances with my Walking Sticks or Rollator and booked a trip from Hellesylt which was stated was run on the Local Ferry service but was NOT informed till i got onboard by P&O that the Ferry was 600 yards away which would be too far for me to try and walk so had to cancel for which they had the check to charge me a late cancellation fee.

I now hire a Mobility Scooter to use while Cruising and if they had informed me before about the 600 yard walk i could have checked with the Ferry Company if i could travel with Mobility Scooter before i booked.

P.S Please NO sarcastic comments about Me Disabled and travelling alone like i have mentioned before you don't have a clue what your talking about, i'll just stick to the literally Hundreds of Compliments i have had being So Independent from everyone from the Consultant in Hospital ot friends, neighbours even strangers.

Just because you are there to accompany a family member does NOT make there situation the same as mine the same as the way i do things may not suit others neither does yours.

I mentioned this in a post a while ago you can go on to the Official Port Authority Websites where they will every Cruise Ship in port and the Arrive and leaving Leaving Times but NEVER P&O times whatever the Ship. Thy will list the P&O Ships in on what date but no times. Must come under the Secrets act, everybody else can do it.

11 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Just proves there are some miserable people go on cruises. Bah humbug. It isn't hurting anyone and if it provides fun for some them so be it. 

Is that not what the Children's Clubs do hide things around the ship to see how many they can find.?

It's probably playing towards the British mentality i noticed on my first cruise if there's a competition as in this case find more than everyone else just as in the quizes no matter how srap the Prize is there Desperate to Win.

On 4/23/2024 at 12:25 PM, cymrucat23 said:

Whilst we enjoyed thoroughly our Northern Lights cruise in March, I had a bit of a problem with the air con. We had an ocean view cabin, which was fine, but I found after a few days that my skin became extremely dry and my eyes became puffy toward the end of the cruise. Always turned down the temperature to quite cool when going to bed as I can't sleep in a hot stuffy room. Anybody else had this? I'm feeling I might have to shell out for a balcony if we go again 😞

Just make sure you don't do this if you book a Balcony cabin the next time. :-)

4 hours ago, Breezy5631 said:

Not quite sure anyone is mistaking norovirus for a cruise cough unless they’re coughing water out of their backsides. 

There are more symptoms to Norovirus than what comes out your backside or did no one tell you that.?  

On 6/9/2024 at 4:14 PM, carlanthony24 said:

Spot on. But asking another person for sore throat tablets could mean anything. IE down to air conditioning (Cruise Cough). Its annoying when people watching and they just walk past the hand sanitisers on boarding. 

Well said i come off the Iona on 15th June runny nose cough even in my chest but a row days later now i feel fine and i used the sanitizer every time of those stations not just when i was entering or leaving a certain place. But if you read the post asking people caught the Norovirus on Iona a lot of people will say they did without taking the test. It's like having a badge to some people must be Norovirus couldn't be anything like you say Cruise Cough. For me it was probably spending to much time in Air Conditioning  then returning to Fresh Air all the time.Yes people will have caught Norovirus but where from. 

Or should that not have read 'Oh to be purrfect'. 😩😩😩

Sorry about the terrible jokes folks but just had to share them.

15 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Oh to be perfect.

Oh that was a catty comment. meow. 

No Pun intended. 😇😇😇

Happy Cruising.

Your question about P&O or Cunard reminded me of what a Young lady said to me while on Iona last year that she was only there because her Mother wanted to try P&O and she normally travelled Cunard with her husband where she said the service was a lot better.

And when she suggested i should try Cunard i joked they would take one look at me and say 'Nah we'll give you your money back' she replied it's not as posh as it used to be but still a lot better that P&O.

Also Flam is mentioned i first went there in 2012 and instantly fell in love with the place then went back last year and sadly has changed since my last visit more commercialized now with more shops and with the bigger ships very busy cause there is limit space for the town to expand.

The sail in is still out of this world but for me sadly the town itself has become like any town centre on a Saturday Afternoon. 

50 minutes ago, Red Leicester said:

Iona is the only ship I've done twice at the moment.  I loved it.  You can be a small fish in a big pond.  I'm glad you enjoyed it too.

It divides opinion on here I find.  Everyone rushes to try the new ships but as it's aimed at a different market it now has its vocal critics.  Some change is needed to move forward.  There a now a mix of ships for the differing markets and you can tell the atmosphere of each.  I'm not the life and soul of the party and go to relax and Iona has enough about it to keep me entertained.  

 

Norway and Sweden are the best destinations I've been to as well and itching to go back!  Very jealous.  I was in Southampton today on a trip out to test my new camera, monocular and spotting scope and had a pang of jealousy with Iona in and people coming and going.

 So True i was going to cancel my first cruise i had booked because i cannot stand arrogant people that that think they are better than others but was talked into going and i must admit i love cruising now as i like meeting people and have met people for all walks of life on them. But was on the Iona last year and though it was a disaster physically for me i ended up with a group of people later at night after  doing everybody doing there own thing which consisted of Singles Married  Older Younger Gay & Straight. I think it all comes down to the kind of people you 'click' with. Back on Iona in 2 weeks but hired a Mobility Scooter to get round her this time.

I hope you've started packing what you will need it's only 2 years and 4.5 months to go.

Don't want to be running around at last minute so you. 😊

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Me neither.  I cannot for the life of me see what difference it makes to your cruise at all. As long as they know what they are doing and don't make the same stupid jokes every day!!

So true but there are so many people that think if the Captain speaks to them they become somehow more Important than the other passengers even though it is all PR, and the Captains must talk to thousands of passengers over the years.

Think P&O have finally lost it when it comes to sending out emails,  Booked a Cruise for 2026 the other day and received a email today saying 'The Countdown has Begun only 107 weeks till your Holiday'.

Good of them to remind me of that might have forgot.

Where can i buy a 2 year Calendar to mark the weeks off. 🤔